Unfulfilled Promises
by ssilverfoxx
Summary: A continuation of CCS. Syaoran wants to keep a promise he made to Sakura when they were children, but his foretelling dreams are keeping them apart! Will their love endure?(SS, TY) CHAPTER 6! - Syaoran is interrogated by Yuki and Touya. Can he survive it?
1. A Promise Remembered

**Disclaimer:** Erm...basically, nothing's mine except the plot idea and even that I'm sure, has been done before.

**Notes:**

The line breaks indicate time or POV shifts.

I hope that I got my Japanese words right since I haven't written an anime fic in almost three years.

I don't have a beta reader so please tell me about any mistakes you find!

I've only seen the first 12 eps. of CCS, so I apologize if the characterizations are off or if I screwed up some major plot device. Bows apologetically.

Kero-chan is here because....well I don't really know why he's here. I don't know what happens at the end of the series so...Yeah. And don't tell me cuz I don't want it spoiled!

Please critique me! I need constructive criticism to get better! Arigtou Gozaimasu! bows

* * *

**Unfulfilled Promises**

By: silverkitsunechan (ssilverfoxx)

**Chapter 1: A Promise Remembered**

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

Sakura bolted upright. "Nani Kero-chan," she asked groggily as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Squinting, she brought into focus the tiny golden figure floating in front of her.

"You're gonna be late!"

"NANI?!" she yelped as she grabbed her alarm clock. It read 7:15.

"Aaah!" Sakura jumped out of bed, the last vestiges of sleep erased from her face. She ran to the bathroom and turned on the shower to let the water heat. Meanwhile she frantically gathered her uniform from her closet and grabbed a towel from the cabinet.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier, Kero-chan?" she complained as she searched messily through her drawer for her other sock.

"It's not _my_ job to make sure that you get to school on time," he started righteously. "Plus," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "I overslept too."

"Wai! I found it!" Sakura exclaimed as she ran for the shower. She quickly threw off her clothes and jumped in. Five minutes later, she was out and drying herself with a towel.

_Gomen nasai Tomoyo-chan! Please don't be mad at me! _It was their day to clean the classroom and Sakura hated, more than anything, letting other people down, especially her best friend.

Glancing in the mirror, Sakura saw that she still had a pillowcase mark on her face. Mourning her lost sleep she began combing out her wet hair. It was significantly longer than it had been when she was younger, now reaching the small of her back. Tomoyo-chan had encouraged her to grow it out when she had started high school. She refused to grow it any longer because of her sports, but she felt that it was a fitting tribute to her mother. Plus, it was pretty.

Deciding to let her hair dry as she rollerbladed to school, Sakura grabbed her backpack, and ran downstairs. Touya sat at the table reading the paper as he and Yukito waited for the pancakes to cook. They were both attending the local university. Her father, a professor at the same university was out of town at an archaeologist convention.

"Ohayo Sakura-chan!" Yukito said brightly with a wave.

Blushing slightly, Sakura responded. "Ohayo Yukito-san." She had long since rid herself of the all consuming crush that she'd had on her brother's best friend for years, but that didn't stop her from feeling a little flustered in his presence. After all, he was quite handsome. _And certainly he's the only handsome man who's ever sweet to me._ Sakura thought thinking of specific others, namely one Li Syaoran.

"Oi kaijuu, I thought it was your day to clean the classroom," her brother noted.

Stomping on his foot and ignoring his pained look she replied, "It is. I'm just going to grab something and eat it on the way." Racing through the kitchen, she grabbed an apple and some pocky in addition to the lunch her father had made her.

"Mmm. Nutritious," Touya remarked sarcastically. "You better watch it or you'll end up fat!" He laughed "A fat kaijuu! Not that you could make any more noise than you already do!"

Turning around with a dangerous glint in her eye Sakura stomped on his foot...and missed as he pulled it away!

_Fine._ She thought as she smacked him across the back of his head. "Don't call me kaijuu!" She yelled behind her while racing to the front steps to put on her rollerblades.

"Itai!" Touya moaned. "Mou, you'd think she'd be a little more mature for a 17 year-old."

"Hm." Yukito murmured while calmly sipping his tea. "It must run in the family."

"Oi!"

* * *

_It's so beautiful today!_ Sakura thought as she bladed down the sidewalk with a pocky stick hanging between her lips. The trees were beginning to lose their blooms and their petals drifted down all around her, some landing in her hair. The dying blossoms had a particular smell, so sweet it was almost too much. It was already warm. _It smells like sunshine! _Sakura thought happily.

Glancing down at her watch she cringed. _7:45. I'm fifteen minutes late! Onegai Tomoyo-chan, don't be mad at me! _

She ran her fingers through her hair attempting to hurry the drying process. She winced as her fingers hit a particularly vicious snarl. _Itai! _She thought as her eyes filled with tears. Partially blind, attempting to eat her pocky at the same time and minus, of course, her hands, Sakura felt herself beginning to weave along the sidewalk. _Oh no..._she thought, and sure enough she felt herself crash into something hard and fall.

"Itai..." she moaned piteously as she rubbed her bottom. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Sakura glanced up to see what...or rather who she had crashed into.

"Crying already? Well, after all, it's what I'd expect from a baka like you."

Sakura groaned. _Just when I though my day couldn't get any worse..._

With a cheerful smile she said, "Ohayo, Li-kun!"

During her Cardcaptor days she and Li had been allies and dare she say it? A little more than Just Friends. Sorta. After their final battle Li-kun had returned home to Hong Kong. Suddenly, in the beginning of this year, her last year in high school, he had returned! She had expected that their camaraderie would return as well, but she was wrong. Instead, he had returned more obnoxious than ever...and handsomer than ever. They were still friends, in a weird way. He was never open with her, never candid, and certainly never complimentary. It was almost as if he didn't like her anymore and yet...if that were the case, why did he even bother?

_Why did he come back? _Sakura wondered for the gazillionth time. At first, she had hoped that he had returned for her. But now she realized that that was silly. They had only been children and hadn't known what love was. Not _that _kind of love anyway, How could she expect him to fulfill a promise that he had made when, at the time, he hadn't even realized what he was promising.

Looking down at her, Li Syaoran wondered just what she was thinking. Sakura had been lost in thought for a good ten seconds or so, gazing off at...something. _Ha. She probably knocked herself for a loop._ She looked so silly, sitting there on the concrete in her short skirt, her damp hair clinging to her face. It even had a couple of flower petals stuck in it. _Pink...her favorite color. She looks so silly, so stupid, so...appealing. _

Shaking his head to rid it of useless thoughts he asked, "Oi. Isn't it your and Daidouji-san's turn to clean today?"

Her clear green eyes abruptly focused on him and he felt a little jolt. He watched the dawning and the eventual panic.

"Aaaah! Now I'm really late!" she wailed as she got up, quickly dusted off her backside, and took off. "I'll see you in class Li-kun!" she yelled back to him with a friendly wave.

He sighed. "Baka."

* * *

"Gomengomengomen! Please Tomoyo-chan, forgive me for being so late!" Sakura begged.

"Don't be silly Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said readily, "Of course I forgive you!"

"Demo...I don't forgive myself," Sakura muttered. More loudly she continued, "You had to do everything by yourself. Wash the boards, erasers, sweep, clean the desks...it's just not right. So what can I do to make it up to you?" she asked seriously.

Tomoyo laughed. "You really feel bad about this don't you?"

Sakura nodded fervently.

"Okay then, you can take me to the ice cream shop after school and treat me," she said eyes twinkling.

"Hai! Demo...somehow that doesn't seem fair, since I like going to the ice cream shop."

Tomoyo shrugged innocently, her purple eyes sparkling. She still looked the same as when she was younger, only... _She's the prettiest girl at this school._ Sakura thought with a sigh as Tomoyo began organizing her supplies for school. _And she's so nice and mature. I'm so lucky to have her as my best friend! _

Suddenly the door to the classroom opened.

"Ohayo Daidouji-san, Kinomoto-baka."

"Ohayo Li-kun!" Tomoyo called out cheerfully.

"Why you..." Sakura started as she marched towards him ready to deliver justice both swiftly and painfully.

"Li-kun." Tomoyo stepped gracefully in front of the irked Sakura. "Why don't you come with us after school? We're going to get ice-cream, Sakura's treat, ne Sakura-chan?"

"Ano...demo Tomoyo-chan..." she started uneasily.

"Remember Sakura-chan, you owe me," Tomoyo whispered gently into her ear.

Keeping her temper in check Sakura to face Li. "Hai. We would be pleased if you would join us, my treat." She even managed a smile.

"Well, since you asked so nicely...I guess I'll tag along." As Li brushed by them on the way to his seat he patted Sakura on the head. "I hope you brought enough money Kinomoto-baka. I can tell already that I'm going to be _really_ hungry after school."

"Mou. That guy." Sakura stomped her foot indignantly as he walked away though truth be told, she was glad that he had patted her. When he had first returned, Li wouldn't even come within two feet of her. She still remembered the rejection she had felt when she welcomed him back with a hug that he had quickly extricated himself from and called her Kinomoto-san.

_Why can't he call me Sakura? It's not like we don't know each other...though it has been almost eight years. But still! Doesn't everything we went through count for anything? _So thinking, Sakura sighed.

"Daijoubu Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo-chan asked.

"Hai!" she replied with a grin. "I just can't wait to go get ice-cream."

Knowing her best friends penchant for sweets, Tomoyo smiled.

* * *

Li watched them from his desk. Not obviously of course. He was pretending to read a book, making sure that he tilted his head downwards so that his hair covered his eyes. He could never get enough of watching them...her. She had grown so much since he had left. Besides being a good deal taller, bringing her to about 5'4", and having grown her hair out, she had matured a lot. She still cared deeply for her friends, he could see that. She was still genki and kind, smart and athletic, and quick. But there were contemplative silences that had not been there before. Though she had always been a good student, there was a new level of concentration and dedication to her schoolwork, even the subjects that she hated. She was more patient.

And she was more beautiful than ever. Li groaned silently. It just wasn't fair. Her hair had always been a beautiful color, but it had deepened with age to a darker, redder mahogany...and it was long. _She looks good...wonderful with long hair, _he thought. Her eyes were as clear as ever, sparkling with intelligence, mirth, and when he was around, temper. Her figure had filled out, though not to the extent that Daidouji's had. She was more slender, and well-toned from her athletics. But she definitely had enough curves to entice...He felt himself blushing. Li knew that he was in dangerous territory. He couldn't afford to think of her like that. It was hard enough to be a marginal friend with her.

He didn't know how to act around her. She was so confident, smart, and pretty. She clearly didn't need him. Not like he needed her. _I'm so weak,_ he thought disgustedly. _I know I can't have her...so why am I here?_ But he knew. He knew the reason. He had made promise...and he had every intention of keeping it, even if he didn't know how, even if it was impossible, and even if she didn't want him to.

* * *

End Chapter 1

**Notes:** I hope that you enjoyed and that I got the characters right. I'm sure that changes will be made in the future. In the meantime, let me know what you think. I'm kinda rusty at fic writin' since the last fandom I was involved in was Gundam Wing about three years ago. Thanks so much! Ja ne!


	2. Sweeter than Ice Cream

**Notes: **Hm. It's funny. I'm actually having a really good time writing this fic! I mean, I like writing, but I used to have to work really hard to get one chapter out a week. Now I've written two that are twice as long as my usual ones in the same amount of time. :) I think that it's because the characters of CCS play off of each other so well. I really have fun writing their dialogue!

I just hope that people are enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I notice that I actually have a couple people reading it! That makes me so happy! So Arigatou to my readers! Thank you so much!

**Reviewers: **

Darkmidnightgoddess: Thank you so much for your review! I'd be lying if I said it didn't boost my ego just a smidge. ;) When are you going to write some stories so I can review yours? Hurry hurry! :)

ss-cherryblossom: I'll give it my best shot! You tell me if I screw up, ne? ;) I'll be heading over your way to review as soon as I get a chance! Arigatou!

I'm not sure what the Author Alert List thingie is, but I assume that means that you've read my story, so thanks fairieangel and Sylver Skye!

**More Notes:**

By the way, I really don't know anything about Japanese schooling so you may notice that many specifics are left...well, to your imagination.:)

And now...

* * *

**Chapter 2: Sweeter Than Ice Cream**

The three teenagers slowly made their way down the street towards the ice cream shop. Tomoyo and Li were engaged in a lively debate over the answer to the bonus question on the calculus test. Sakura had her blades thrown over her shoulder and was listening only half-heartedly to the conversation. She didn't really like calculus. She had to work hard at it because it had a tendency to go in one ear and right out the other. Of course, she had an A in the class, but only because of her stubbornness and refusal to give up.

Instead Sakura watched the people as she passed them. She liked to watch people and imagine what their lives were like. She watched a little boy teasing what had to be his little sister. They both had the same brown curls and both had ice cream cones. Whenever he could, the boy would reach over and grab a bite of his sister's cone. The little girl was getting more and more frustrated.

Sakura stopped to watch the drama unfold. She was sure that the little girl would either cry or run to her mom. It was kind of silly really. Her ice cream cone was too big for her anyway as she couldn't have been more than five. Sakura watched as the girl turned silent and her brow furrowed in thought. The next time her brother attempted to snag a bite, she took the rest of her cone and smashed it into his face with a peal of righteous laughter.

Combined with the look of astonishment on the little boy's face and the expression of triumph on his little sister's, Sakura couldn't help but giggle as well. It reminded her so much of herself and her own Onii-chan.

Meanwhile, Tomoyo and Li had realized that Sakura had fallen behind.

"Oi Kinomoto-baka!"

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura turned and ran to catch up to them with a big grin on her face.

* * *

His breath caught in his throat as she ran towards them, her hair streaming out behind her, glinting red in the sunlight, a smile on her face. She looked so carefree...so happy. _Stop it Li._

"Gomen!" she said as she got closer.

"Brain fade?" he asked.

Her eyes flashed at him in irritation. She opened her mouth to reply.

"Oh look! We're here!" Tomoyo interjected, grabbing Sakura's arm and hauling her over to the ice cream shop. Sakura's mouth snapped shut as she let herself be hauled into the shop. The little bell on the door tinkled as they entered, Li trailing behind.

"Wai!" Sakura exclaimed pointing to the sign that read Choco-Cherry. "Look Tomoyo-chan! They have my favorite!"

Li almost laughed out loud but settled for a smirk instead. _Choco-Cherry? How predictable._

Sakura and Tomoyo placed their orders. Sakura got her Choco-Cherry cone and Tomoyo got vanilla. Li stepped up to the counter and placed his order.

"One scoop of Triple-Fudge-Chocolate-Chunk," he stated calmly. Turning around as he waited he caught sight of Sakura and Tomoyo staring wide eyed at him.

"Nani?" he asked.

Sakura looked at Tomoyo. "You know, it's fitting in a weird way, demo..." Tomoyo nodded in agreement.

Turning to him Sakura said, "Still, I never would have pinned you for a chocolate addict Li-kun." Tomoyo shook her head.

Li could feel himself flushing. "I've always liked chocolate," he mumbled then continued on more loudly, "There's a lot of stuff you don't know about me," he said looking directly at Sakura. She met his gaze squarely, almost curiously and his stomach twisted. _There's so much you don't know. _

"Sir, your cone," said the woman behind the counter.

"Gomen," he apologized for keeping the woman waiting and took the cone from her. "Arigatou."

"Tomoyo-chan, could you hold my ice cream while I get my wallet?" Sakura asked holding out her cone.

"Hai," Tomoyo replied taking the cone from her, "Demo...Li-kun."

"Nani?" Sakura wondered as she glanced up from rummaging through her purse. "Aaah! Li-kun! It's my treat remember?"

He shrugged as he handed the cashier the money. "It's no big deal."

"Demo..." Sakura frowned. Somehow it didn't seem right. She watched as he received the change. The woman at the cashier's hand lingered just a bit longer than normal on his and she smiled flirtatiously when he thanked her. But his face never changed an iota. Sakura sighed. _Always the same Li-kun. So dense._

"Sakura-chan! Your ice cream...it's—" Tomoyo said hurriedly.

"Ah, gomen gomen!" Sakura said as she quickly stowed her wallet and grabbed the melting ice cream from Tomoyo along with a napkin to wipe up the Choco-Cherry drips from her friend's hand.

"Let's go sit at a booth," Tomoyo said.

"Hai," Sakura agreed. She looked to see if Li had heard but he was already headed for a booth in the back. He slid into one side and she and Tomoyo sat on the other.

_What on earth is he thinking about?_ Sakura wondered to herself as she studied him from over the top of her ice cream cone. He sat on his side of the booth calmly licking his ice cream...which he was obviously enjoying and trying not to look like he was. _How cute...urg. Bad Sakura! Bad! _Frustrated with herself, she went back to eating her melting ice cream.

_Demo...he is really handsome. _She admitted to herself. _He's got those kawaii brown eyes and his hair. _She sighed._ He has really nice hair. Always falling into his eyes. And he's pretty well-built too...ARGH! That's it! _Resigning herself to not think at all, Sakura concentrated on making sure that none of her Choco-Cherry managed to drip over the side of her cone.

* * *

Li personally was in heaven. He loved chocolate, absolutely adored it. Of course, in his family men were supposed to be invincible and any addiction was seen as a weakness, so he only indulged when they weren't around, specifically when his male relatives weren't around. He remembered when he was seven and had come across his sisters' hidden stash. After careful contemplation, he had decided that the best course of action would be to take little tiny bits at a time so no one noticed because if they did he'd get in trouble and they'd change the hiding place. Those tiny pieces had fueled his addiction for a year until he'd moved to Japan to chase Cards. Then he'd bought chocolate pocky with his allowance every week.

Now, at age 17, he had a little more control over his craving...but not by much. He still had a little stash in his desk drawer of candy bars and chocolate pocky. Looking up he caught Sakura glancing at him curiously.

_What the heck is she thinking about?_ Li wondered watching the interplay of emotions running across Sakura's face. He observed amusedly as she went dreamy eyed, then irritated, then dreamy eyed again, and sighed. Finally exasperation set in and she began eating her ice cream with lion-like ferocity. _Okaaaay._ _Weird, _he thought as he went back to eating his own ice cream.

* * *

Tomoyo watched both of them pretend not to watch each other and mentally sighed. _They're so stubborn. _

Sakura was the sister that she never had and Tomoyo loved her with all her heart. Sakura was the only person who didn't take advantage of her easygoing nature, the only person who managed to see through her polite exterior. They never argued, never gossiped, and never lied to each other. Sakura was her first true friend, one who stuck by her regardless. What Tomoyo wanted, more than anything, was to have her friend be happy and she had a hunch, that the key to that happiness was one sullen faced, chocolate craving, stubborn baka, Li Syaoran.

Tomoyo strengthened her resolve. _Whatever it takes Sakura-chan! I'll do it! _

* * *

"Tomoyo-chan, would you like to come for dinner at my house?" Sakura asked as they were walking back to her house.

"Hontou? Your father won't mind?"

"Ie. He's at another conference. He'll be back in two days. Onegai Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura begged.

"Hai! My mother will probably be working late again. I'll just call her cell phone and leave a message." Tomoyo flipped open her cell and punched in the number. While she called her mom, Sakura turned to Li.

"Li-kun?" she turned around and asked the brown-haired youth who was ambling along behind them with his hands in his pockets.

"Nani?"

"Do you want to come?" she repeated a bit impatiently.

He shrugged. That shrug irritated her. _Why can't he just answer. What's with all the stupid shrugs?_

"I wouldn't want to intrude," he said stopping her in her tracks as she turned to look back at him. _Huh? _she thought, surprised.

"Demo...demo, Li-kun, you never intrude!" she replied looking up at him seriously. "I mean, after all we went through when we were younger..." she trailed off for a second before plowing confidently forward, "You'll never be and outsider in my house. An annoyance, sure. A baka definitely. But never an intrusion." She smiled up at him and gently tugged his shirt sleeve, a commonplace gesture from their past.

He blushed just a little bit and Sakura released his sleeve with a grin. _Oh how cute! I embarrassed him! _

"So," she continued, "You wanna come or not?"

* * *

End Chapter 2

**Notes: **Weee! Two chapters done! I really have no idea how long this is going to be. It could be five chapters, or it could be twenty.

Again apologies for any misspellings.

By the way, a question posed to any readers I may have. Do you think the characterizations are accurate? Are they too variable? I kinda viewed the Sakura/Syaoran relationship as one that is intensely dynamic in both the love and irritation areas. What do you think? And another question, is this story believable at all? I'd like to think that it is...demo...I'm the author, so I'm slightly biased.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Some Kind of Family

**Notes: **Oh my goodness! Chapter 3 already? Maybe I should just combine my chapters into longer ones...but that would be bad for my self esteem. :)

Only three reviews so far! Oh so sad! Please, if you could find it in your heart to tell me what you think, I would really really REALLY appreciate it.

**Reveiwers:**

ss-cherryblossom: I'm working on it! :) Thanks so much!

I will be going out of town for a week starting on the 21st so it will be a little while before I update again probably. I'll do my best but I won't have internet access where I'm going.

Once again, I have no beta reader, so please, if you find any mistakes, tell me! Arigatou!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Some Kind of Family**

_What the heck am I doing here? _Li Syaoran wondered dazedly as he stood in front of Sakura's house. _Why did I agree to this?_ But he knew. He'd been so blinded by Sakura's charm, that he'd just nodded stupidly in assent to whatever she had said. Unfortunately, now that he had arrived at their destination, he wasn't so sure.

"Oi! Li-kun! Are you coming?" Sakura called to him. She was standing in her doorway, a smile on her face.

_Sakura's house. I'm standing outside her house. I want...I want..._ "Hai," he answered and began walking towards the entrance. As he stepped across the threshold Sakura led them towards the living room.

As they entered the living room, Li noticed a handsome silver-haired man sitting in a chair, reading. _Yukito-san? Why is he here? _

"Yuki-san!" Sakura called cheerfully. He raised his head, his eyes twinkling.

"Sakura-chan! How was your day?" he asked putting his book on the table next to him.

"Great! I brought Tomoyo-chan and Li-kun for dinner," she replied.

"Li Syaoran?" Yukito said glancing at the youth behind her in surprise. "Li-kun! How are you? You've grown so much!"

Sakura smiled as Li politely answered his questions. She should have known that Yukito would be fine with Li.

"Ano...," she interrupted quietly, "I'll go tell my brother that you're here."

As she exited the room, she caught Yukito's eye and he winked at her and flashed the V-sign. She knew that he was wishing her good luck...and she knew that she'd need it.

Sakura sighed and stepped into the kitchen.

* * *

"NANI?!" Touya yelped.

"Shhh!" Sakura admonished him glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Li, Tomoyo, and Yukito hadn't heard.

"There's no way I'm cooking dinner for that gaki. What the heck is he doing here anyway?"

"I invited him," Sakura answered evenly. "Onii-chan, onegai? Please do this for me? I know that you don't like him but...just, can you do this for me? Onegai!" she begged.

Touya sighed. "Look, I know you two went through a lot with each other," Touya ground out, "but I don't like how that gaki treats you." He turned around to stir the pot of soup on the stove. _He's not good enough for you_, Touya thought. _Not by a long shot. _

"I know," Sakura replied understandingly. "But he helped me a lot when I was little. I know he's hard to get along with, believe me I do. But I owe him. The least I can do is to attempt to be his friend. After all, he's here by himself. He doesn't really know anyone except for us and Tomoyo-chan. He hasn't really had a chance to make friends with any of the other students since he's only been here for a couple weeks and it's not exactly easy for him. Onegai Onii-chan!" She clasped her hands underneath her chin and made her best puppy-dog face.

Turning back around, he looked at Sakura's pleading expression and Touya's resolve crumpled.

"Oh alright. But that gaki better not piss me off. Now get out of here." Flicking his spoon dismissively at her, Touya shooed her out of the kitchen.

"Arigatou Onii-chan," Sakura said beaming up at him and before Touya could respond, she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Patting his face with her hand, she ran out of the kitchen.

With a silly smile on his face, Touya went back to stirring the soup.

At first, the sight at the dinner table was somewhat grim. Touya and Li had spent the first ten minutes staring each other down before Touya had stretched, smirked, and begun to eat. With a puzzled look on his face, Li too, had started to eat.

Yukito, Sakura, and Tomoyo kept up a steady stream of chatter...well, Sakura and Tomoyo did anyway, with Yuki contributing when he wasn't eating.

Li mostly listened and answered the occasional question. _Why is Yukito-san here? _He wondered. Yuki was so easy and confident around Sakura. It was intimidating. _Where does he fit in? What is he to her, to her family? _He looked at the ever-eating figure across from him and decided to keep an eye on him.

"Yukito-san, what are you studying at the university?" Tomoyo asked him.

"Ano...well, currently I'm majoring in theological and mythological studies demo...after moving into the Kinomoto's house and reading some of their father's books, I'm thinking that I'm going to take a more historical angle," he replied thoughtfully.

"You live here?"

Everyone looked up, startled at Li's first question of the evening. Only Yukito seemed unsurprised.

"Hai!" he said smiling. "After my grandparents passed away last year, Touya, Sakura-chan and their father were kind enough to invite me to stay here."

Li was envious. No, he was jealous. Yukito, his main rival for Sakura's affections when he was younger, was living under the same roof as hi— as Sakura. It just wasn't fair.

"Demo, Li-kun," Yukito started, his brow wrinkled in puzzlement, "Where are you staying?"

Li shrugged. "In an apartment building about a mile from here." He'd picked it because it was closest to her house, but he didn't feel the need to disclose than information to anyone.

"By yourself?" Yuki asked.

"Hai."

"Demo...is that okay?" Yukito asked quietly.

He shrugged again. "It's fine."

Yukito responded with a thoughtful "Hmm." And Li saw the corners of his mouth turn up ever so slightly. _Whatever,_ he thought as he returned his focus to finishing his dinner.

"'Ah! Li-kun!" Sakura interrupted his thoughts and he turned his gaze toward her. "I almost forgot to thank you for the ice cream! Dakara...arigatou!"

"Oh my!" Tomoyo said raising her hand to her cheek, obviously flustered. "I forgot too! Arigatou gozaimasu Li-kun!"

"Nani? A gaki like you bought my sister ice cream?" Touya asked darkly. He began to lean over the table towards Li. However, he was halted by a swift under-the-table kick to his shins from Sakura and a hand on his shoulder. "Yuki..." Touya stared at the silver-haired man.

"It's fine Touya," Yukito said softly and squeezed his shoulder. "I know if I had two such kawaii girls with me, I'd have bought them ice cream too!" he continued with a chuckle and watched as Li flushed just a little bit.

Sakura smiled. _Arigatou Yuki-san._ Yukito always knew how to salvage a situation.

Touya grumbled bit more before rising from the table. "Oi kaijuu. Since I cooked dinner and Yuki cooked lunch, you get to do dishes," he said jerking his thumb towards the kitchen.

"Hai!" Sakura said jumping up and starting to carry dishes to the kitchen. Tomoyo and Li rose and headed to the kitchen as well.

"Oh no," Sakura protested. "I can do it by myself, really! You're guests and..."

"Don't be silly Sakura-chan," Tomoyo interrupted. "You invited us, so we'll return the favor by helping you clean up, ne Li-kun?"

"Sure I guess."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "Well, then. Since you're _both,_" she stressed the word both with some amusement, "so eager to help, I would be very grateful if you would help me wash the dishes."

They quickly cleared off the table and brought the dishes into the kitchen.

"Okay," Sakura said surveying the mound of dirty dishes. "I'll wash. Li-kun, you rinse, and Tomoyo-chan, you dry. Here are your instruments," she said handing Tomoyo a dish towel and showing her the dish rack. She put on her pink apron and handed her father's apron to Li who shook his head.

"'S'ok," he said rolling up his sleeves.

"I don't want you to get your school uniform dirty," Sakura protested still holding out the apron.

"I have to do laundry tomorrow anyway," he replied and turned toward the sink. He reached out and turned on the water, beginning to fill up her side of the sink. Sakura replaced her father's apron and grabbed the soap.

Sakura was elbow deep in suds, washing furiously when suddenly Tomoyo's phone went off. "Gomen," she said apologetically. "It must be my mother. Could you wait a second?"

"Hai! We'll just stack the dishes on the counter and you can dry them when you're done." Sakura said smiling.

"Arigatou Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said as she ran out of the kitchen to get her phone.

"Tomoyo-chan's so wonderful," Sakura sighed wistfully. "She's the nicest, prettiest, and kindest girl at our school." She flicked her hair back behind her shoulders as it was falling into the soapy water. "I'm lucky to have her as a friend."

Watching Sakura stand over the sink doing dishes in her frilly apron, her eyes shining as she talked about her best friend, he asked, "You think so?"

She turned her face toward him while her hands kept washing. "You don't?" she replied. Her eyes held a warning.

Li felt himself beginning to blush so he tilted his head downward as if he were concentrating very hard on rinsing the dishes, but really it was so his hair would hide his face from her view. "It's just that...some of the guys at school...they think that you're the...nicest...prettiest...you know," he mumbled trailing off as he rinsed the dishes. He didn't want to see her reaction.

"Hontou? Hontou ni?" she asked and he glanced up. She was amused. "They must be stupid then," she stated matter-of-factly. "I mean, I'm clumsy, unfocused, and immature. I'm not nearly as pretty as Tomoyo-chan and I'm a kaijuu. You'll set them straight, ne Li-kun?" she asked winking at him.

His mind raced trying to come up with an acceptable answer _Kuso. This is like the stupid 'Am I fat' question! Either way I answer, I'm screwed! _he thought. He stalled for time. "Eh...ano—

"Gomen ne Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said as she entered the room and Li breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank God for Daidouji-san! _

"What's up?" Sakura asked her curiously.

"My mother asked that I come home right away...demo the dishes," she said worriedly.

Sakura waved a soapy hand at her causing some suds to fly through the air. "Daijoubu! The dishes are almost finished anyway. We're fine, ne Li-kun?"

"Hai."

"See?" Sakura said smiling at her best friend.

"Hontou ni arigatou Sakura-chan! Please thank your brother for the wonderful dinner! I will see you at school!" Tomoyo offered a little wave and walked out the door. A few seconds later, Sakura and Li heard the front door open and shut as well.

"Well, I guess it's just the two of us now!" Sakura said turning towards Li. "Let's hurry up and get these finished!"

* * *

Tomoyo congratulated herself while she waited outside Sakura's house for her limousine to arrive. _That was clever pretending that it was my mom telling me to go home instead of Yamazaki-san asking for the math assignment. This way they can be alone and hopefully... _Tomoyo looked up at the darkening sky with a self-satisfied smile. _Good luck Sakura-chan! _

* * *

End Chapter 3

**Notes:** Yes, I know that this is slow. I'm thinking of ways to speed it up a little. I'm workin' on it, I'm workin' on it.


	4. Revelations in the Dark

**Notes:** Chapter 4 already? Yatta! (smiles)

I'm finally back from out of town and now I'm stuck doing college stuff. (bleh) So it's coming along.

Thank you so much to my reviewers! :)

**Reviewers:**

_Flaming Soul :_ Thank you so much for your review! As you can see, I'm still going! :)

_tsunami23 :_ (Blushes) Thank you for your compliments and I stand corrected on the timeline. On the DVD reviews it says that Sakura and co. are 10 but looking around the net, there seems to be a general consensus that they are 11 so I changed it. :) Thanks!

_ss-cherryblossom : _Once again, thank you for your review! I really appreciate your encouragement!

_Suppie69 : _A short review and to the point! ;) I'll do my best! Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter 4: Revelations in the Dark**

"Yatta!" Sakura exclaimed happily as she hung up her apron. "We're done!"

Li nodded and checked his watch. "I should go home now," he said. He didn't really want to. It wasn't like there was anyone waiting for him, but he didn't want to wear out his welcome.

"Hontou?" Sakura asked.

_Is it just me or does she look a little disappointed? _Li wondered as he nodded.

"Then let me walk with you a little ways, ne?"

Surprised, he nodded his assent. Together, they walked to the door.

"Oh! Hold on a second," Sakura said as she turned back toward the inside of the house. "Onii-chan!" she yelled.

"Nani?" Touya answered from somewhere in the house.

"I'm going to walk with Li-kun a little bit."

"NANI?!" Touya shouted as he appeared in the hallway.

"Onii-chan!" Sakura said warningly

"Hai...hai," Touya replied hastily. Then he turned to Li. Touya straightened to his full height and crossed his arms forebodingly across his broad chest. "If she's not back in forty-five minutes, you're a dead gaki, understand?" He glowered at Li.

Li could feel his hackles rising as he looked at the impressive man standing in front of him. Li started to snarl and just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, he felt a hand grab his and haul him towards the door.

"Hai hai Onii-chan!" Sakura said cheerfully, ruining their facedown. "Ja ne," she called as she pulled Li through the door and slammed it behind them.

"Whew!" Sakura let out the breath that she had been holding. Dropping Li's hand, she turned towards him.

"Sumimasen. Onii-chan...eto...he's a still a little protective of me."

"Hontou? I hadn't noticed," Li replied a bit sarcastically as he curled his hand into a fist. It was the hand that she had been holding...the hand that hadn't stopped tingling since she'd dropped it.

"Eh. Don't be a smart alec," she replied with her nose in the air as she headed down the walk. Li hurried to catch up with her.

"That way," he said pointing to the right. They walked in comfortable silence for a few moments.

Sakura tilted her face slightly upwards and breathed in deeply. The night air was fresh and clean. It still smelled faintly of cherry blossoms and rain. She glanced over at Li who was walking jauntily with his hands in his pockets. _He looks so cocky. _She couldn't stop herself from smiling faintly.

"What's with the weird looks?" he asked.

"Mou. You're such a jerk," she replied with a grin.

"Oh thanks," he said rolling his eyes.

'You're welcome," Sakura said with a sugary smile. Suddenly she grabbed his sleeve and hauled him off the sidewalk into the nearby Penguin Park.

"Oi!" Li protested. "What the heck are you doing?"

"I want to talk with you," she said as she dragged him to the swings. "Sit," she commanded.

Too surprised to do anything else, he sat. She took the swing next to him. Moving her hands up the chains, Sakura began to twist the swing. Li watched her, puzzled.

_Hm. How to say this..._ Sakura thought as she absentmindedly twirled her swing until she could no longer keep her feet on the ground. Then she lifted her feet and let the swing unwind. As she spun she shut her eyes tightly. Li watched as she twirled around, her legs, skirt, and hair flying. He watched as she placed her toes on the ground to slow herself before she finally came to a halt and opened her eyes.

She laughed a little breathlessly. "Wow. I haven't done that since I was little!"

Li glanced over at her suspiciously. "What did you want to talk about?"

Her face turned serious and she cocked her head to one side...or tried to. "Itai!" she moaned. Her hair had gotten wound up in the chains.

"Baka," he snorted. "Even I know that you shouldn't twirl in swings if you have long hair." He reached over to help untangle the silky brown strands from the chain.

"Well I wouldn't know. I haven't done this since my hair was short. Itai!" she yelped.

"Gomen," he said automatically as he finished detaching her hair from the swing and resisted the urge to smooth it back into place.

"Yeah, I bet you are," she said. Sakura quickly combed her fingers through her hair, taming the snarls. When she was done, she clasped her hands together tightly and placed them in her lap.

"Li-kun."

"Nani."

"Do me a favor?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh huh," he said suspiciously.

"Shut up for five minutes," she said seriously. "Don't interrupt me. Don't insult me. Don't be a jerk, ne?" She looked up at him for conformation.

He shrugged.

"And don't shrug."

Li started to shrug again and caught himself. He nodded instead.

Sakura sat for a few more moments. She twisted her hands nervously in her lap. _How to say this, how to say this._

"When I was little...you and Tomoyo-chan...you were my best friends."

He was surprised. He'd know that they were friends, but that she'd thought of him as one of her best friends touched him.

"And when you went back to Hong Kong," she continued still not looking at him, "I was...very sad."

_You were?_ He thought, his spirits lifting.

"So when you came back, I was happy!" she said turning towards him and smiling. "I was happy because I had my two best friends again!" Her smile faded a little bit. "And then I was sad again because...it didn't seem like you wanted to be my friend anymore." She wasn't smiling at all now. Just looking at him oh so seriously. He gulped and hoped that she couldn't hear it.

"I know that we didn't get off to the best start this year. Dakara...I wanted to know if we could start over." She was staring intently into his face, her green eyes solemn. "If we could be friends again?"

Li was having trouble breathing. She was so close to him, so very close. He could reach out and—

"Okay, you can talk now," she said interrupting his train of thought.

"Uh." _WhatdoIsaywhatdoIsay? _He thought, his mind racing for an answer. "Ano...I guess so."

* * *

Twenty yards away from Sakura and Li was a stand of trees and some bushes. Had they been looking towards it, they would have seen two pairs of eyes observing them, both brown.

"What's he saying?" Touya hissed.

"I don't know. Demo...Sakura-chan looks..." Yuki trailed off speculatively.

"Pissed," Touya finished off his sentence smugly. "Haha!" he chuckled. "That gaki will never get it right with my sister!"

Yukito looked over at him. "Demo he does seem to like her, quite a bit in fact."

"Nani! Don't tell me you're on _his_ side," Touya said warningly.

Yuki sighed and smiled gently. "You have a real sister complex—

"Eh?!"

"—and I don't think that we should be here right now," Yuki plowed on stubbornly ignoring Touya's protest. "So..." Yuki grabbed Touya's shirt collar, ignored the feeling of warm skin beneath his hand, and pulled his brown-haired friend away from the bushes. "We're going home."

"Demo...demo!" Touya protested half-heartedly as he let himself be dragged.

As he towed his muttering friend away from the park, Yukito managed one last glance back at Sakura and Li. _Just give him a chance Sakura-chan! _

* * *

_I guess so?! That's all he can say? Mou. _Sakura had her arms crossed as she glared irately at him. "What was that?" she asked heatedly.

"Uh...What I meant was..."

Sakura waited for him to rectify his obvious mistake.

Li took a deep breath. "I would like to be friends with you again, Kinomoto-ba—eh, Kinomoto."

Sakura examined him for a moment. _Hm. I think he means it. _She uncrossed her arms and smiled brightly.

"Good! Than you can start by calling me Sakura," she said happily.

"Hai, Sakura-baka."

She felt her jaw twitch as she raised a fist in warning.

"Eh heh," he laughed nervously. "I mean Sakura."

"Right," Sakura said as she checked her watch. It was time for her to head home. She stood up from the swing and straightened her skirt. Her hair was shining in the moonlight and Li felt his breath catch. Turning around, she winked at him.

"We're really going to have to work on your attitude, Li-kun."

"Syaoran," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Nani?" she asked curiously.

"You can call me Syaoran," he said, glad that the darkness hid his blush.

"Sya-o-ran," she sounded out slowly and she smiled at him. He felt a shiver go up his spine at the way she said his name. No one had ever said his name like that...or maybe it was just that _she _had never said his name before.

"Arigatou," she said softly.

"What for?" he asked gruffly.

"For being my friend again." Sakura reached out and tugged his sleeve. "I have to go home now before Onii-chan comes to kill you. I'll see you in school, ne? Ja!" She offered a small but enthusiastic wave which he returned. Then she turned and walked back toward her house.

Syaoran sat and watched her until she turned the corner. Then he noticed that he was trembling. _Kuso,_ he thought. _It's impossible to be strong when she makes me so weak! _he thought helplessly as he examined his shaking hands. He balled them into fists and sighed.

He got up from the swing and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Then he began to walk back to his apartment. Syaoran ambled along the fairly empty streets. Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at his destination. He gazed glumly up at the stark white building. It was too white.

He climbed the ten flights of stairs to his room and when he entered, he stood in the doorway and simply looked around. More white. He hated it. It wasn't home. There were no people, no smells of cooking, no laughter, no color, just bleak white walls and some furniture.

_It's funny, _he thought. He'd felt more at home in the two hours he'd been at Sakura's house than he'd felt in the last three weeks in his apartment.

He yawned. For whatever reason, he felt exhausted. _I'd better get ready for bed. _Syaoran sighed and shut the door behind him.

* * *

End Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:** Chapter 4's finally done! I had to take a break from it due to my trip and then I lost my focus...but I'm back on track now! Thanks for being patient with me!

Like I said, I've only seen the first 20 episodes of CCS, so I don't really know whether Sakura ever calls Li, Syaoran. Oh yeah! Could someone explain to me the significance of Sakura calling Syaoran little wolf or whatever? Is that in the anime? I've seen it a lot in fics and I was wondering if it was actually in the show or if it was just a fic writer's creation? If someone knows, please enlighten me! Thanks!


	5. Some Things Never Change

**Notes: **Lalala! :) Oh I had so much fun writing this chapter! That's because I'm just like Sakura-chan when it comes to scary movies and stories! I can't watch anything even remotely scary. I end up going to the bathroom whenever a really scary part comes up. :)

I realize that many of you may find this fic kinda boring because it doesn't have much plot. I wanted to focus on the relationships between the characters because that is probably my favorite part of CCS. In my opinion, it's what separates CCS from all of the other magical girl shojo out there. But just so you know, there is more plot coming. I haven't quite got it all figured out yet, but it's definitely coming!

**Reviewers:**

Flaming Soul: Thanks for reviewing again! And yes, I think you may be right. ;)

* * *

**Chapter 5: Some Things Never Change**

"Sakura-chan!"

"Nani?" Sakura asked as she worked on her homework during her free period. Syaoran, who had the same free period, was on the other side of the table doing his homework as well. It'd been a week since their talk and their normal bickering had settled into a sort of teasing camaraderie. They often did their homework together during free period. He would help her with calculus and she would help him with literature. Syaoran glanced up at Chiharu and then continued writing.

"Do you want to go to the movies with me, Naoko-chan, Tomoyo-chan, Rika-chan and Yamazaki-kun?" Chiharu asked.

Sakura thought about her schedule for a moment. "I'd like to, but I have cheerleading practice after school."

"It's okay. Since Naoko-chan has practice too we're going at 6:30. So can you go?" She asked cheerfully.

"Hai!" Sakura said and then she was struck with a thought. "Ne, can Syaoran come too?" she asked. Syaoran lifted his head with a startled look in her direction.

"Sure!" Chiharu said as she turned to Syaoran. "Li-kun, would you like to come with us as well? I know that Yamazaki-kun has missed you and would be happy to talk to you again!"

"Eh..." Syaoran started uncertainly.

"He'll come," Sakura said genkily with a cheeky smile in his direction. He glared back at her and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Okay! We'll see you two at the movie theater at 6:30 then!" Chiharu headed back toward the door with a wave.

"Aa! Chiharu-chan!" Sakura called after her. "I might be a few minutes late because I have to stay after practice to clean up!"

"Hai hai!" Chiharu said with a wink from the doorway. "That's what you get for being captain!" With another wave, she exited. Sakura glanced at her homework on the table. She was working on a poem for her English class. She'd decided on a non-rhyming free verse and it was going nowhere fast. Her page was covered with scratch-outs and blots. Sakura sighed.

Syaoran snorted and she sent a piercing glare in his direction. "Nani? Did you have something to say?"

He glanced up at her. "_You're_ cheerleading captain?"

She sniffed at him. "It just so happens that I am very good at it."

Even though his expression was as bland as ever, Syaoran was laughing at her, she could tell. Her green eyes narrowed as she waited for his retort.

"So I guess when that clumsy streak hits, it's pretty bad huh?" he said with a smirk. With his hair falling into his eyes, he looked quite devilish. It didn't help that he was right. Just the day before she had fallen from the top of the pyramid sending the rest of the girls scrambling in a heap with pom-poms flying everywhere.

Sakura harrumphed and grabbed the blotted out paper on her desk. Wadding it into a ball she quickly threw it and hit him right in the forehead. "Hah!" she laughed triumphantly. "Gotcha!"

"Hm. After that, maybe I won't go to the movies with you," he said as he picked up the paper from the floor and smoothed it out. He examined the copious scratch-outs. "Not getting anywhere very fast are we Sakura-baka?"

"Yeah well. I can't decide what I want to write about," she said. "Looks like you're not having any trouble though. Can I read it?"

She watched in surprise as his face suddenly grew pink. _Hm? _She thought. _What's this? _Sensing his embarrassment she said, "I guess not, ne?" She smiled at him and grabbed another piece of paper.

* * *

Syaoran, Tomoyo, Chiharu, Rika, Naoko, and Yamazaki stood waiting in front of the theater for Sakura. At first Syaoran had felt uncomfortable waiting around with a group of people he hadn't seen since he was eleven. They talked about people and events that he didn't know. But then Yamazaki-kun turned to him, waved a finger in the air and said,

"Li-kun! Did you know that—

"It's a lie. It's a lie." Chiharu cut him off.

Yamazaki looked crestfallen and Syaoran couldn't help but quirk the corner of his mouth.

"I can't even start to tell a story now! It's like she's psychic or something," Yamazaki complained to Syaoran. "Demo, I guess it's what I get for going out with her for three years." He smiled at Syaoran and before he knew it, they were engaged in a catch-up conversation.

"Aa! Gomen! Gomen!" Sakura called as she ran up to them waving, her bag slung over her shoulder and her cheeks flushed with exertion.

"Don't worry about it Sakura-chan! It's only 6:35 and we already bought your ticket! Here." Tomoyo-chan fished the ticket stub out of her purse and handed it to Sakura.

"Arigatou Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura said as she gave her friend a quick hug. She turned the ticket over in her hand and examined the name of the movie. _Dead Walking. _Sakura shivered and laughed nervously.

"Ano...who picked the movie?" she asked the group.

Rika answered her, "Naoko-chan did. She's already seen it three times—"

"—and it's really, really, really good!" Naoko cut in her eyes sparkling madly. She had nixed the glasses in favor of contacts the year before and it had made a startling contrast. She was now quite cute and very popular with the boys.

"E-eto..." Sakura stuttered. Syaoran looked at her, puzzled by her odd behavior.

"We'd better hurry up or we'll miss the movie!" Tomoyo said. She gently grabbed Sakura's arm and led the nervous girl toward the theater. "Come on Sakura-chan, minna!" As they walked through the lobby, Sakura caught sight of a poster. It had the words Dead Walking written in huge bloody letters that dripped down the paper. And behind the words was a grotesque rotting zombie missing an eye and displaying a lipless grin. Sakura shuddered and clutched tighter to Tomoyo's arm.

Meanwhile, Syaoran was observing all of this with amusement and some dismay. _What the hell is she so worked up over?_ He wondered. Then a thought struck him. _Masaka...don't tell me she's still afraid of ghost stories and all that stuff! I'd have thought she'd be over it by now! _He watched as the man ripped their tickets in half. He glanced at Sakura and took in her wide eyes and slightly paler than usual complexion. '_Taku...and we're not even in the theater yet. _He shook his head as they approached the door to their movie.

Naoko, Chiharu, Rika, and Yamazaki were chattering happily behind him as he watched Tomoyo pull Sakura into the dark theater.

Once they were inside the semi-dark theater, Tomoyo insisted that she sit on the end of the row because "I have to get up and use the restroom sometimes and I don't want to disturb the rest of you!" Of course, she wanted to sit next to Sakura, and Sakura wanted Syaoran to sit next to her. So Rika, Naoko, and Chiharu sat down first, followed by Yamazaki and Syaoran, then Sakura and Tomoyo.

The previews faded away into darkness and Syaoran glanced at the brown-haired girl to his right, only to see that she was practically sitting in Tomoyo's lap.

"Oi," he said, poking her gently in the shoulder. "Daijoubu?"

Sakura looked over at him with wide eyes. "Oh yes, I'm j-just f-fine."

"If you say so," he replied unconvinced seeing her clutch Tomoyo even closer when the eerie music started. Syaoran shrugged and turned his full attention to the huge bloody words dripping across the screen.

Try as he might though, Syaoran just couldn't keep his attention on the movie. It was one of the usual horror flicks with the usual plot twists. Nothing new. But Sakura-chan...now there was something interesting to watch. He observed her out of the corner of his eye as she "eeped", buried her head in Tomoyo's shoulder, nibbled nervously on her nails, and clutched the arm rests on either side of her. _At least she hasn't run out screaming, _he thought.

* * *

_At least I haven't run out screaming, _Sakura thought grimly to herself as she watched another person get chopped up by a zombie. _...yet._ She was pretty proud of herself. She'd never been able to make it past fifteen minutes into a scary movie, but she'd made it to twenty this time.

_I can do this,_ she thought, determined. _I've fought Clow Cards that are more dangerous than this stupid movie. I can do this!_

"Sakura-chan," Tomoyo whispered. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"Nani?!" Sakura whispered back, panicked. "Can't you wait another..." she checked her watch. "...hour and thirty minutes? Onegai Tomoyo-chan?" she begged.

"Gomen ne Sakura-chan, but I really have to go. It'll be alright, I'll be back in five minutes okay?" she smiled reassuringly at Sakura.

Sakura breathed in deeply. _You can do this, _she told herself as she forced herself to pry her fingers from Tomoyo's arm. She quickly transferred them to the armrests on either side of her. "Okay," she whispered back shakily. _Fiveminutesfiveminutesfiveminutes,_ she chanted to herself.

"Arigatou. I'll be right back." Tomoyo got up from her seat and exited the theater.

Syaoran looked down and even in the dark he could see how tightly she was grasping the armrests. _Her hands must be hurting,_ he thought as he watched her squeeze her eyes shut.

Sakura closed her eyes and tried not to look at the screen. It didn't help at all. Since she could still hear the sounds, her imagination filled in the details. _Fiveminutesfiveminutesfiveminutes. _

* * *

_Gomen ne Sakura-chan! _Tomoyo thought as she sat in the couch in the restroom. She was glad that the managers had been thoughtful enough to place it there. Otherwise, she would have had to sit in the stall. Tomoyo checked her watch. _I'll have to wait at least fifteen minutes. I doubt that she can last that long. I'm so sorry Sakura-chan, demo...it's for your own good._

So thinking, Tomoyo sat resolutely on the couch reading her fashion magazine and checking her watch, waiting for her plan to come together.

* * *

Five minutes had never seemed so long to Sakura. It felt like forever. _Where's Tomoyo-chan? _She thought nervously. _I can't sit through this without her! _She tried plugging her ears to block out the sound of the movie but it was too loud. She settled for just squeezing her eyes firmly shut. However, that could only last so long and finally, despite herself, Sakura opened one eye...just in time to see a zombie with blackened, rotting flesh pounce on a woman and rip her head off.

With a muffled shriek she latched onto Syaoran's arm and buried her face in his shoulder. Startled, he blushed and glanced down at her. _This is getting ridiculous,_ he thought as he watched and felt her shake. With most girls, he would have figured they were faking it, but Sakura was not most girls, and he knew she wasn't.

Syaoran's arm was starting to go numb. _How on earth does Daidouji put up with this?_ He thought. But even as he thought it, he was enjoying the sensation of her body pressed close to his. She was so soft. _Waitaminute. Soft? _Looking down more closely, he realized that his arm was being clutched against her breasts. He felt his face turn several shades of red.

"O-oi!" he stuttered quietly. "Are you okay?"

Sakura nodded, her face still hidden. _He must think I'm such a baby, _she wailed to herself. _Demo...I don't care and...and...he smells reeeeally nice._ He smelled like soap and skin and something purely masculine...and it was thoroughly enjoyable. _No cheap cologne for Li Syaoran_, she mused to herself as she inhaled again.

Syaoran couldn't stop blushing. _She seems to be relaxing though. _And she was. He could feel some of the tension draining from her body and she loosened her grip on his arm just enough to allow for blood flow. _Thank God! _He thought though he was secretly glad that she hadn't let go. She was nice and warm and the theater was cold and it was her...it was Sakura. That thought quickly jerked him back to reality.

He thought for a moment and turned to Yamazaki. "Ne, Yamazaki," he whispered. "I think we're going to cut this short." Syaoran gestured to Sakura. "Is that okay?"

Yamazaki grinned. "Yeah sure. We might do the same." He leaned back to reveal Chiharu clutching his left arm, face buried in his chest. "Demo...I think she's just faking." Yamazaki winked at him and Syaoran nodded. He turned back to Sakura.

"Oi. Let's go," he said shaking his arm gently.

She looked up at him questioningly.

"This is a stupid movie," Syaoran said as he carefully extricated his arm hoping she didn't notice exactly where it was and what it had touched, "and I don't think that you're enjoying it either, so let's go."

He both saw and heard her breathe a sigh of relief as she nodded. She leapt from her seat, and practically ran down the aisle. Syaoran followed her through the lobby and outside. The sun had set a good thirty minutes before. The sky was a deep periwinkle and the first stars had already begun to shine.

Sakura stretched, reaching for the sky and yawned.

"Man. Practice really tired me out today." She hesitated. "Arigatou...for not getting mad at me."

"Why would I be mad at you?" he asked, a bit surprised.

"Eh heh," she laughed nervously. "I'm still a baby about scary movies. Actually, that's the longest that I've ever sat through one."

He looked at her. "Like I said, it was a stupid movie."

She looked him over carefully. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. "Yeah well, thanks anyway." Sakura smiled at him.

"You're welcome," he mumbled.

"What was that?" she asked incredulously holding her hand to her ear. "Was that a 'You're welcome'? From Li Syaoran? For _me_?" Sakura gasped as she drew a hand to her chest in feigned shock. "Oh I'm soo happy! I've been blessed! I've been—"

"Shutup," he said, not unkindly. He turned and started walking. "C'mon. I'll walk you home."

Realizing that she'd been left, Sakura ran to catch up. "Ne Syaoran, Chotto matte!"

* * *

**End Chapter 5**

**Author's Notes: **Thanks for reading! :)


	6. Confrontations

**Warnings: **There are a few shounen ai hints here. For those of you who do not know what shounen ai is, it is male/male. In addition to being mainly a SyaoranSakura story, there is also a TouyaYukito subplot because I think that they are a cutecuteCUTE couple. So if you don't like it, skip it.

Oh yes. And Touya has a potty mouth in this chapter. (sweatdrops)

**Author's Notes: **Wow. I just found my old account and I'm going to repost my old stuff to my new account! I'm so proud of how well I could write when I was 14! Too bad it's only gone downhill from there! (sweatdrops)

**Reviewers: **

crazychickie4life: Yeah well. Part of the problem is that I suck at summaries. The other problem is that I focus a lot on characters and the relationships between them. Not many readers care about that stuff, especially in the CCS fandom for some reason. (shrugs) But I'm happy with the way my fic is turning out so far, and it pleases me immensely to know that you think I'm a good writer! (blushes) So thank you so much for your compliments! And as for their first kiss...all in good time my friend, all in good time! (winks)

And now...let the plot begin! dum dum DUM!

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**Chapter 6: Confrontations**

"Ne Syaoran. Thanks for everything." They were standing in front of her house, illuminated only by the soft porch lighting. He couldn't bear to look at her, at the way the light caused her eyes to sparkle and her hair to shine. He just couldn't. So he looked away from her and grunted instead.

"Hn."

"Hontou. I mean it. Arigatou," Sakura said as she poked him softly in the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, ne?"

He nodded, still refusing to look at her. He waited until he heard her walk up her steps and open the door before he raised his head. Syaoran watched as she walked inside. Right before she closed the door, she offered a small wave, just a wiggling of the fingers, smiled, and gently closed the door.

He breathed a sigh of relief. _Kuso. I almost lost it. _Shaking his head, he turned to leave. As he walked down the walkway, a figure suddenly stepped out from behind the bushes.

"Oi," Touya said arrogantly. "Gaki. We need to talk."

"Maa maa Touya," Yukito said smiling as he too stepped out from the bushes. "There's no need to be so intimidating." The silver-haired man turned to Syaoran. "Li-kun, what Touya means is that he would appreciate it if you would speak with us, that is, if you have time?" he raised his brow in query.

"Ne, Yuki. I—" Touya started with a somewhat disgruntled look, his thunder having been stolen. Yukito raised a hand. Touya sighed and settled for crossing his arms and glaring at the Chinese boy in front of him.

Syaoran appraised the two men standing in front of him and shrugged. "Sure," he said.

"Then if you would follow us please?" Yukito motioned for him to follow them as they walked down to the sidewalk and moved far enough so that they could not be seen from the house.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Syaoran asked blandly.

"Ano...well, it's a rather delicate situation, isn't it?" Yukito said.

Touya stepped forward. "Stay away from my si—Oi!" he exclaimed as Yukito once again moved in front of him.

"Touya, why don't you let me start, ne?" Yuki said gazing pleadingly up at his friend.

Touya's countenance softened. "Hai," Touya responded. As Yuki turned back around Touya kept his gaze on him and the brown haired man smiled just a little bit.

_Huh? _Syaoran thought. _How long has this been going on?_

"Eto...," Yuki started, pulling Syaoran away from his thoughts. The silver-haired man stood in front of him in a neutral posture. Syaoran was surprised to find that he had to look down at him as his former crush was a good two inches shorter than him. Despite his pleasant smile, his eyes were serious. "What Touya meant to say was...well, we want to know what exactly your intentions are...regarding Sakura-chan."

Well, whatever Syaoran had been expecting, that wasn't it. "I.." he frowned and closed his mouth as he thought about it for a moment. "I want her to be happy," he said. He saw Yukito's face soften and Touya's transform from forbidding to surprised. "That's all," Syaoran said quietly.

"That's all?" Yukito asked his light brown eyes searching Syaoran's.

"Hai."

"Hm." The corner of Yukito's mouth twisted upwards. Just when Syaoran felt that he could no longer take the weight of his gaze, Yukito turned back toward Touya. "Okay," he said to the taller man. "Go ahead."

"Nani? He passed?" Touya asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Now it's your turn." Yuki leaned against the wall and waited for Touya to start. Sakura's oniichan turned to look at Syaoran and the Chinese boy had to steel himself to keep from blanching.

"So, you think you think a gaki like you can make my sister happy, huh?"

Syaoran hesitated. He was slightly intimidated by the man standing in front of him. He drew himself to his full height, which was only an inch shorter than Touya's. "Maybe," he said carefully.

Touya snarled. "Maybe? You better be fucking sure!" His brown eyes were glittering dangerously. "This is my baby sister we're talking about. You already broke her heart once and I'm not going to let you do it again. Am I clear?"

Syaoran was feeling a little bit woozy. "I...I did what?"

Yukito spoke up from the side. "Sakura-chan was very sad when you left." He smiled slightly. "She talked about you non-stop for a good three months or so before she realized that you weren't coming back."

"Hontou?" Yuki had to stifle a laugh at the hope in the Chinese boy's voice.

"Yeah," Touya said shortly. "So back to my question, am I clear?"

Syaoran studied the sidewalk for a moment. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and blew his bangs out of his face. Amber eyes clear, he looked at Touya. "You know," he said, "I wish that I had a brother like you to defend me." Touya startled out of his defensive posture and Syaoran half smiled. "And I wish that I could promise you that Sakura...she won't be hurt, demo...I can't. That's up to her because..."

Syaoran breathed in deeply and looked up at the sky and continued "I didn't come here to...be anything more than a friend to her." He shifted his gaze to the ground. "She's going to meet the man she...marries," he choked a bit on the word "soon...and he isn't me."

Syaoran looked up at the men standing in front of him. Yukito had shifted from leaning on the wall to standing upright. Yuki was staring at him, his brow wrinkled in concern and puzzlement. Touya on the other hand, had his mouth wide open in shock.

"Nani?" he asked incredulously. "Did you just say that my sister...is gonna get married...to some guy I don't even know?"

Syaoran smiled bitterly at him.

"Demo...Li-kun, how do you know this?" Yukito asked, stepping towards him.

"I've been having foretelling dreams since I turned seventeen, every night, the same dream," Syaoran kicked at the ground a little before continuing. "It's always the same guy, and it's always her. She always...looks so happy. And I—and I made a promise to her." Syaoran looked up at them and said stubbornly, "And I'm going to keep it!"

"Even if it makes you unhappy?" Yuki asked gently laying a hand on his shoulder. "Shouldn't you have a say in this too since you're in lo—" Syaoran shook his head, cutting the other man off.

"You don't understand." He hesitated before looking Yukito in the eye. "I made a promise to her before I left. I promised her...that I'd come back for her and that—and that I'd make her happy," he finished in a whisper. "And I want to keep it," Syaoran said looking fiercely at Touya who was now standing with a contemplative look on his face, "because it's the only thing that I have left to give her."

Syaoran looked at Touya. "So I'll do my best, but I can't make any more promises. I may break her heart. I may make her unhappy for just a little while demo she'll be fine...iie, happy in the end."

"Demo Li-kun, if this is the case, why did you come back at all?" Yukito asked concerned.

_Because I'm masochistic, _Syaoran thought to himself. "Because I promised her I would and...because I have to introduce them," he finished. He didn't want to look up so instead he glanced at his watch.

"I have to go," Syaoran said avoiding looking either of them. "I have school tomorrow."

"Hai. Of course." Yukito removed his hand from Syaoran's shoulder and smiled sadly at him. Syaoran nodded and turned to walk away.

"Oi gaki," Touya called out arrogantly from behind him. Syaoran stopped but didn't turn around. "You're not half bad, and if you want to...be with my sister, I won't stop you," he called out casually. "But if you make her cry, I'll kick your ass!"

Syaoran turned and smirked. He looked Touya up and down before he answered, "I wouldn't be so sure of that. I've been practicing. Ja." He raised a hand in a jaunty farewell and continued walking down the street.

Yukito watched him go and Touya watched Yuki. Yuki sighed and turned to the brown haired man.

"I feel so sorry for him," Yukito said sorrowfully.

"Why?"

Yukito looked at him incredulously. "You're kidding right?"

Touya shrugged. "It's just a dream."

Yukito sighed. "It's a _foretelling_ dream," he said pointedly.

"So?"

"So, foretelling dreams are premonitions of the future. When a person with magic has them, they almost always come true...almost." The last word was a whisper and Yukito looked wistfully at the ground.

Touya thought for a moment. "So, have you ever had them?" he asked looking down at the man beside him.

"Sure."

"Do they come true?"

"Most of the time," Yuki answered carefully.

"Most of the time?" Touya asked.

"Mmhm."

Touya was about to press him when suddenly, "ONII-CHAN!" he was startled out of his thoughts by Sakura's yell. He looked down the sidewalk and sure enough, Sakura rounded the corner at full tilt. She skidded to a halt just in front of them.

"Onii-chan, Yuki-san," she said cautiously. "What are you doing out here?" Sakura looked at her brother suspiciously as he hemmed and hawed. "You weren't picking on Syaoran were you?"

"Oh so it's Syaoran now is it?" Touya said teasingly trying to change the subject.

"Did you?" she moved even closer to him, standing on tiptoe so her dangerously glinting eyes could bore holes into his. _It's scary how well she knows me,_ Touya thought as he matched her glare.

"Maa maa Sakura-chan," Yukito interjected. "Do you really think that we would do something like that?"

Her gaze faltered as she looked at the pleasantly smiling man beside her brother.

"Well...I..." she started uncertainly.

"Why don't we go inside and have some cake? I made it earlier and if I do say so, it's very good!" Smiling, he placed his arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the house. "Of course, Touya can have some as well," Yukito said over his shoulder.

"Just don't let that kaijuu eat it all," Touya called as he ambled after them.

"NANI?!" came Sakura's outraged cry.

"Maa maa Sakura-chan!" Yukito's soothing voice trailed off as they entered the house in front of him. As the door closed behind them, Touya stood in the middle of the sidewalk looking in the direction that Syaoran had gone.

_Well gaki. Good luck. Maybe one of us will get who he wants, ne? _Touya smiled cockily but there was a hint of sadness there, in the right corner of his mouth for anyone to see, for anyone who cared to look. With one last glance, Touya headed into the house.

* * *

He was dreaming. He was always dreaming and it was always the same segmented dream. Some parts were quick flashes, others short reels. Always the same. Pieces. Pieces of a life to come. Pieces of a broken heart.

He watches as he introduces her to _him_. Watches as her eyes light up with interest.

She laughs with _him._ She touches and hugs _him._ She is happy.

He sees her in a house. A beautiful house full of small potted flowers and sunlight that burnishes her chestnut hair with a deep red hue. A child's drawings are tacked all over the walls. She is sitting at a table helping a small boy...her son. Her son with blond hair. Her son who has her eyes, but looks like _him._

It had taken him two months to see the wedding band on her left hand as she reaches to point at something on the child's paper. Now he doesn't see how he could ever have missed it. It sparkles joyously and she laughs. She is beautiful.

Then she lifts her head, eyes sparkling and runs to the door. She throws it open. _He _is there with a suitcase, obviously back from a long trip and she smiles a wide smile. _He _laughs and she throws her arms around him. She leads him into the kitchen and the child runs up to him with a picture. _He _admires it and ruffles the boy's hair with his left hand. On that fourth finger is a ring that matches the color of the little boy's hair, that matches his hair because _he_ is hers. _He _slips an arm around her and she smiles adoringly up at him. Never at him...not at him..._not at me..._

Syaoran's eyes flew open. His chest hurt, as it always did after the dream. He raised his hand and rubbed it across his face. He was surprised to find that he was sweaty until he remembered that he had forgotten to open the window to his room. With a sigh he swung his legs over the edge of his bed. He stalked to the window and threw it open. Syaoran gulped in breaths of cool, sweet air. He felt his bangs begin to unstick from his forehead. He ran his fingers messily through his hair causing it to stand on end. He was thirsty.

He walked from his room to the small kitchen adjacent clad in nothing more than his boxers. He didn't bother to turn the lights on. Syaoran grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it from a jug of bottled water he had sitting on his counter.

He had gulped it down halfway when her face flashed through his mind, emerald eyes gleaming, hair shining with silken tendrils wrapping themselves around the soft curves of her face. She was laughing. He pressed a hand to his chest, to stop the ache.

Dimly he heard something crash. Looking down, he realized that he had dropped his glass of water. His kitchen floor was littered with sparkling pieces of glass and drops of water. He stood there for a long minute, studying the glittering shards. Finally, he turned and walked back into his bedroom. He climbed onto his bed, kicked off his blankets and wrapped his arms around his pillow. Then he shut his eyes and prayed for darkness.

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**End Chapter 6**

**Notes: **Whew! That was a hard chapter to write! I'll probably end up revising it before all this is over. (winces) My brain hurts.

This is an SS fic! I repeat, this is an SS fic! It's turning out a little angsty though huh? Weird. I don't usually write angst.


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